Twitter Updates

Nick Fairley #1 Overall for 2011?

Fantasy Football Brother’s offers up our NFL Mock Draft 2.0. Many things have changed since our last mock draft,the biggest being Andrew Luck returning for his senior season at Stanford.

Luck’s return ensured that NFL Draft 2011 will be dominated by defensive players. The defensive end position is loaded with NFL ready talent.

There are some notable college players missing here and the most glaring is Cam Newton of Auburn. The reason being is that I’m not sold on him at the NFL level and I don’t think he goes in the first round.

One of my concerns with Newton is that when he was forced to throw the ball, such as in the National Championship game a season high 34 times, he completed a season high of just 20 of those passes for a 58.8 completion percentage. That is against a decent Oregon secondary, but one that could be taken advantage of through the air. I know he wasn’t asked to throw a ton this year, but my concern is his ability to read a defense and how he reacts at the NFL level.

Another player that is absent is Jake Locker of the Washington Huskies. He just didn’t show enough at the Senior Bowl to be classified as a Round 1 selection. While his athleticism and potential might garner a late first round pick, I think he falls into Round 2.

They are both extremely athletic quarterbacks, but to me they project as projects, and the NFL is a business that hasn’t been kind to “projects,” as well as franchises looking to win now.

Let’s get to Mock Draft 2.0

1. Carolina Panthers-Nick Fairley-DT-Auburn-Fairley was simply a beast during the National Championship game and showed what he could do against a super fast and intricate offense in Oregon. He has a mean streak that some players call dirty, but there is no denying his productivity on the field.
2. Denver Broncos-Patrick Peterson-CB-LSU-Peterson is a special type of player that is NFL ready. He can step in for an aging Champ Bailey, who is also a free agent. While cornerbacks usually don’t go this high, with the NFL evolving into a pass first league, this pick makes sense.
3. Buffalo Bills-Marcell Dareus-DT-Alabama-Dareus would be a great addition to Buffalo’s 3-4 scheme. The Bills are going to have to rely on their defense to keep them in games until the offense catches up. Dareus is the right type of player to fit in Chan Gailey’s scheme.
4. Cincinnati Bengals-A.J. Green-WR-Georgia-This pick has more to do with keeping Carson Palmer happy and owner Mike Brown seems intent on doing just that. This pick also has to do with the Bengals smartening up and saying goodbye to distractions Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens. Green is the top receiver in this class.
5. Arizona Cardinals-Von Miller-OLB-Texas A&M-Miller is vaulting up draft boards after being seen at the Senior Bowl. The Cardinals need to develop some sort of pass rush or they are going to disappear into the depths of the NFC West for years to come.
6. Cleveland Browns-Da’Quan Bowers-DE-Clemson-The Brotherhood sees a great deal of inconsistency on tape from Bowers. We think you shouldn’t have to motivate an NFL caliber type player, especially a first round pick, but the Browns are desparate for a pass rush.
7. San Francisco 49ers-Prince Amukamara-CB-Nebraska-Amukamara was widely regarded as the best corner in college football entering this season. That title was stripped by Patrick Peterson, but Amakumara could help the 49ers immediately in their pass coverage and take over for aging or overpaid veterans.
8. Tennessee Titans-Blaine Gabbert-QB-Missouri-The Titans are in need of a quarterback and many consider Gabbert to be the best of the bunch. We are not really sure what the Titans are doing as an organization and the Jeff Fisher firing reeks of incompetence, but Gabbert really makes too much sense here.
9. Dallas Cowboys-Nate Solder-OT-Colorado-The Cowboys have offensive line issues and in order to protect Tony Romo the Cowboys would be wise to select Solder out of Colorado. Solder is above and beyond the best offensive lineman in this draft and can make an instant impact at the NFL level.
10. Washington Redskins-Ryan Mallett-QB-Arkansas-Many pundits have Cam Newton of Auburn going here, but I won’t drink the Kool-Aid just yet. I’m not sold on the kid and I have concerns that I think will bounce him into the second round. The consolation prize is Mallett, a big kid with a big arm and just enough moxy to play for Mike Shanahan in D.C.
11. Houston Texans-Aldon Smith-OLB-Missouri-The Texans if they are to compete in the AFC South need help on defense. Smith is somewhat raw, but he has off the charts athleticism. He is a freak and would certainly help in the pass rush department.
12. Minnesota Vikings-Robert Quinn-DE-North Carolina-Quinn is the pick here as Ray Edwards will be testing the free agent market. If the team resigns Edwards then they go in another direction, preferably a quarterback. Until that happens though we are sticking with Quinn who is a steal here at the 12 spot.
13. Detroit Lions-Akeem Ayers-OLB-UCLA-This pick makes sense because the team released Julian Peterson who was a downright disappointment. Ayers is a versatile linebacker that can step in and be productive from day one. This is a defense that needs to improve greatly as well as get more physical.
14. St. Louis Rams-Julio Jones-WR-Alabama-The Rams drafted franchise quarterback Sam Bradford last season and he performed admirably. Now, the next step is to get him a receiver he can grow with and Jones makes the most sense here. He is a tough and gritty player that isn’t scared to play with pain.
15. Miami Dolphins-Mark Ingram-RB-Alabama-Ingram would be a great “get” here at the 15 spot. Again this is a pick that makes too much sense as Ronnie Brown has been a walking infirmary most of his career and Ricky Williams is probably on his way out of South Beach. Ingram is the tough and punishing runner that fits well into the Dolphins run scheme.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars-Adrian Clayborn-DE-Iowa-Character issues aside, this is a steal for the Jaguars in this spot. Coach Jack Del Rio will get Clayborn to play and will demand the best out of him. This is a perfect selection for a defense that sees quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub twice a season.
17. New England Patriots-Ryan Kerrigan-DE-Purdue-The Patriots need to develop some sort of pass rush to get pressure on the quarterback. Tully Banta-Cain just isn’t cutting it and they need a guy to develop into a formidable edge rusher. Kerrigan is a player that fits the Patriots belief system of what a player should be, as he has great work ethic and comes to play everyday.
18. San Diego Chargers-Cameron Jordan-DE-California-Jordan had a great season and flashed his dominance at the Senior Bowl. We think the Chargers select the Golden Bear and upgrade a defense that has grown somewhat soft in recent years.
19. New York Giants-Tyron Smith-OT-USC-Smith is the runner up to Solder as far as offensive linemen go. He has impressed scouts with solid footwork and athleticism along the line. The Giants would be wise to get younger along their offensive line. Smith could be their cornerstone left tackle in a couple of years.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Cameron Heyward-DE-Ohio St.-He was damn near unblockable against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sugar Bowl and the Bucs are building their defensive front from the inside out. Heyward would give them a dominant force on the edge. This is a defense that will be fun to watch for years to come.
21. Kansas City Chiefs-J.J. Watt-DE-Wisconsin-Tamba Hali can’t do it alone, but first they must resign him. If they don’t we like Watt, and if they do resign Hali we still like Watt at this spot to take some pressure off of Hali. So, I guess either way we like J.J. Watt to the Chiefs who would greatly improve their defense.
22. Indianapolis Colts-Derek Sherrod-OT-Mississippi St.-There is no secret to a major investment in the NFL in that teams should protect their prized commodity. In this case, Peyton Manning, and if you watched the AFC Playoff game versus the Jets you know why this pick makes so much sense.
23. Philadelphia Eagles-Gabe Carimi-OT-Wisconsin-Fifty two, or 52, that is how many sacks the Eagles gave up this season. That is a ton. That’s why we like Carimi to upgrade this unit and at least make it respectable. This is a necessary pick in the NFC East.
24. New Orleans Saints-Justin Houston-OLB-Georgia-The Saints don’t have many holes and we were close to selecting a running back here, Mikel LeShoure of Illinois we could see going here, but Pierre Thomas is relatively young and just needs to stay healthy. So, we went with Houston who is relatively raw, but had a solid junior campaign at Georgia registering 11 sacks. He is versatile enough to play at linebacker or could slide out to the defensive end position.
25. Seattle Seahawks-Brandon Harris-CB-Miami-The Seahawks secondary was a leaking sieve. It doesn’t help matters that Kelly Jennings is a free agent. That is why we like the ‘Hawks to bypass on the Jake Locker experiment and select Harris out of the University of Miami. He is a physical corner that also isn’t afraid to stick his nose in and make a tackle.
26. Baltimore Ravens-Titus Young-WR-Boise St.-The Ravens need a player that can stretch the field. Many though that would be Donte Stallworth, but that never materialized. The Ravens get an instant field stretcher here in Young, who if you haven’t seen play because he went to Boise St. is lightning in a bottle. This should make quarterback Joe Flacco happy again after the firing of quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn.
27. Atlanta Falcons-Jimmy Smith-CB-Colorado-Many draft pundits have the Falcons selecting a wide receiver here. We disagree and think the team still has hopes for Michael Jenkins and Harry Douglas. We think the Falcons stay ahead of the curve and continue to build their defense.
28. New England Patriots-Anthony Castonzo-OT-Boston College-This is a move that would be in response to the AFC Playoff game versus the Jets. Haven’t I said that before? But if you watched that game and if you watched the 2007 Super Bowl against the Giants, you noticed that when the line play struggles, teflon Tom Brady tends to get rattled and instantly morphs into the second coming of Heath Shuler. Castonzo would be a solid pick to further solidify this offensive line, as well as make Boston College fans happy . It really is a win, win.
29. Chicago Bears-Corey Liuget-DT-Illinois-Another win, win here, is this getting to be a theme? Tommie Harris has virtually disappeared and while we almost selected an offensive lineman here, we remembered the Bears are built on their defense and Mike Martz be damned we selected Liuget out of Illinois. He is actually a steal here and would make their defensive front scary, like when Tommie Harris was good scary.
30. New York Jets-Torrey Smith-WR-Maryland-The Jets will be hit hard by free agency this year in the wide receiver department. Both Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes are free agents, so the team must look to the draft if they don’t resign either. While ACC receiver’s tend to scare us a little, think Darius Heyward-Bey here and the fact that he was a Maryland Terrapin scares us alot. But, we think Smith is more talented and shouldn’t have a problem contributing right away.
31. Green Bay Packers-Muhammad Wilkerson-DT-Temple-The Packers don’t have alot of needs, but if certain scenarios play out then the pick of Wilkerson becomes a major need. The team should cut ties with Johnny Jolly who is a jackass in and out of shoulder pads. Cullen Jenkins will be a free agent who they would be wise to resign after the season. Again if they don’t, Wilkerson becomes a need.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers-Mike Pouncey-OG-Florida-I know we veered from the theme of feel good win, win scenarios. But this is the ultimate and we saved it for last. The Steelers selection of Mike Pouncey who is the brother of center Maurkice Pouncey who also happens to play for the Steelers. Pouncey would be a great addition along this offensive line where age is starting to rear its’ ugly head. The protection of Ben Roethlisberger becomes an issue to keep him healthy, plus you can’t get any more cohesive than having brothers along your offensive front.

Enjoy the Super Bowl and stay tuned for our Mock Draft 3.0 which might include Cam Newton going to the Redskins or Jake Locker going to the Seahawks. Fantasy Football Brothers.

A.J. Green, Adrian Clayborn, Akeem Ayers, Aldon Smith, Anthony Castonzo, Blaine Gabbert, Brandon Harris, Cam Newton, Cameron Heyward, Cameron Jordan, Corey Liuget, Da'Quan Bowers, Derek Sherrod, Gabe Carimi. Tyron Smith, J.J. Watt, Jake Locker, Jimmy Smith, Julio Jones, Justin Houston, Mark Ingram, Mike Pouncey, Muhammad Wilkerson, Nate Solder, NFL Mock Draft 2.0, Nick Fairley, Patrick Peterson, Prince Amukamara, Robert Quinn, Ryan Kerrigan, Ryan Mallett, Titus Young, Torrey Smith

Comments are closed.